Church’s LGBTQ decision a disservice to faith
The decision by the United Methodist Church General Conference in St. Louis on Feb. 26 to strengthen its policy to forbid LGBTQ persons as ordained ministers, and to forbid marriages by these persons, demonstrates the church’s TV ad campaign “Open Arms, Open Hearts, Open Doors” is a fraud that even Jesus Christ would admonish. They might as well change the name to “Paul’s Un-United Methodist Church,” from his unrelenting exclusion of women and gays during his Me-ism ministry following Christ. The backwards step of saying certain folks are not welcome to full service to Christianity should be represented by a new motto, “Closed Arms, Closed Hearts, Closed Doors.” If Jesus were in a grave, he’d surely be turning over in it.
RICHARD STAFFORD, ATLANTA
Western prosperity holds no lure with N. Korea
President Trump's recent meeting in Vietnam with Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of North Korea, came to an early end when Kim refused to agree to give up all of his nuclear capabilities. Kim offered to close down one nuclear facility in exchange for all U.S. sanctions being lifted. I believe President Trump miscalculated how to woo Kim. He thought Kim would embrace the idea of developing a vibrant, rich country, with commerce and wealth for himself and the North Korean people, and that Kim would understand the power derived from that. But Kim's reality, his history, is not like President Trump's. The power of a dictator is derived out of fear. In Kim's case, giving up nuclear weapons would be giving up the only power he has to garner respect and fear from his own people and more formidable world leaders.
BECKY SMITH, ROSWELL
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